I made my workstation a little larger than most. I have a cabinet that I put my materials in. Then the patern I am working on I get them out and keep them on my workstation. My workstation is 25"x30" though. I do have to get it out each time I want to tie though. I cannot leave it out or my 2 and 6 yr old will get into it and that would not be a pretty site!

After some web searching, my cheap ass went to the craft store and bought a few pieces of craft plywood. The base is 14"x24" and I have a few other pieces for arms and tool organization. I think Im gonna like building this and I will post pics and a DIY when im done. all in all I have spent $20.00. Which I think will be all that I will need to spend. Please if anyone has done this or has any suggestions shout them out because Im flying by the seat of my pants here!

"Does anyone, here, have a dedicated tying area, like a bench or desk"? Hmmmmmm..............does "an entire ROOM, count"?? I, also, long ago had to "take everything out, then pack it all away", every time I wanted to tie flies, work on a rod, etc. But, when it finally dawned on me, that; "I pay the mortgage for the ENTIRE house and yet seem to be expected to "enjoy" something I truly love, out of a few boxes every time I wanted to tie flies, and such", that was it. There are 9, livable, rooms in our home and I only wanted to take possession of ONE. That's not too bad, since I was paying for all nine, I figured!?! So, I moved the two boys, into one bedroom and took over the other one! My "tying station" is 6 feet long, my rod building area is of equal length and filing cabinets, shelf units and drawer units, all full of materials, plus a computer set up, take up the rest of the room. Actually, the family soon learned the advantages of "Dad's Room",(also known and often referred to, as "The Hole"), as they no longer were finding chartreuse marabou in their underwear drawers, there was no more static clung deer hair on the dishes in the cupboards and we went for months, on end, without a #16 hook............ stuck in the bottom of anyone's bare foot. Now, that my bride and I have finally gotten the children all housebroken, eating with utensils and married off and she's taken up the long rod, along side of me.........the room's become even more of a plus, because I spend half my time in here, tying up HER flies to use as well as my own.

I have a table top desk from Stoney Creek. They make beautiful furniture! They were generous enough to donate a bench to our chapter's fundraising banquet. So I bought one off them. I think the donation was in oak, and I couldn't resist the cherry. My, my but it's pretty! And very useful.

I have an oak desk I got for nothing from the offices of one of the manufacturing companies where I used to work.

It's huge. Too huge to be truthful. 60" wide by about 40" deep by about 30" high.

2 guys can move it, but only if you take all 7 of the drawers out of it first.

It's way too big. The only useful purpse it serves is to help me lose stuff in its huge drawers and then I go and buy more. I was down there yesterday (it's in the basement, but I doubt it's ever coming out) and learned I now have 11 of those little $2.00 bobbin threaders.

RLeeP wrote:I have an oak desk I got for nothing from the offices of one of the manufacturing companies where I used to work.

It's huge. Too huge to be truthful. 60" wide by about 40" deep by about 30" high.

2 guys can move it, but only if you take all 7 of the drawers out of it first.

It's way too big. The only useful purpse it serves is to help me lose stuff in its huge drawers and then I go and buy more. I was down there yesterday (it's in the basement, but I doubt it's ever coming out) and learned I now have 11 of those little $2.00 bobbin threaders.

It's too big...

I hate drawers too...but onthe plus side. you have the makings of a sheapskate "threader" flybox. Stack all your small flies on each of the threaders. One pattern per and toss them in an altoids tin.

Posted on: 2007/10/3 11:36

_________________Don't hit me with them negative waves so early in the morning. Think the bridge will be there and it will be there. It's a mother, beautiful bridge, and it's gonna be there. Ok?

I know they are expensive. I looked at just about every bench/desk/workstation I could find and I thought they were all pretty expensive, considering I can build my own and have the satisfaction of a job hopefully done well.

Work still in progress...............................................................

I bought a pine computer desk from Ikea for tying flies. I made a small organizer to fit on the desktop to hold threads and smaller tools, and I also clamp my vise to it. The vise hangs over the edge of the desk. I pull out the keyboard drawer when I tie. The KB drawer below is great for storing tools and catching waste in a plastic container that I put below the vise. Also on top of the desk, I set my fly tying/ FF books and maps using bookends.

I put a plastic compartment tray in one of the two top drawers for storing all the small do-dads and materials, and the other top drawer houses my hook boxes. I use the lower hanging file drawer for storing and organizing materials. I keep my materials/necks in plastic zip-lock bags and put the bags in labeled hanging file folders. The other side of the desk is a compartment with shelves that I use to store bulk materials, fly line and reels, and other misc. stuff.

I put all my dubbing in a loose leaf binder with clear plastic 8.5 x 11 sheets used for storing photographic slides. Each page has 20 separate pouches that I fill with dubbing. All my dubbing is visible and just page through to find the color and type of dubbing I need.

The desk works well for me. Tying now is just like a day at the office…NOT!

I was a good boy last year and ended up with a bunch of the Cabellas stuff, namely the fly tying desk, spool safe, storage cabinet and fly tying station. They all work good together and keep all my stuff out of sight and relatively organized. my Renzetti Traveler vise fits the adapter on the fly tying station perfectly so instead of a simple base I have a wooden drawered box with tool storage on the top and I can keep my magnified lamp attached to the vise. Makes it easier for me and doesn't take up a lot of room. And, with the right choice of Minwax satin poly-stain it matches the rest of the furniture too.

I'm still building mine and for my first time wood working it is coming along pretty good. I had to make some shallow 12"x3 1/2" "shelves" and a small box to hold plastic rectangles for keeping dubbing and other materials. I will post pics over the weekend when I have things more situated.

does anyone have a recommendation for the finishing stain? its plywood.

Minwax makes a combination stain and polyurethane that works great. I used their satin oak and it matches the rest of the wood furniture in my room perfectly. It's a one step brush on product at around ten dollars a quart so if you want to do two or three coats one can should do.